News releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2/25/08
CAMPUS ARTS OPPORTUNITIES: FEBRUARY 29-THURSDAY, MARCH 6
MADISON - Oscar season may be over, but film lovers can rejoice this week with a bounty of films on a variety of subjects.
The Wisconsin Jewish Film Festival offers documentaries and Q&A sessions on topics related to religion, entertainment and Jewish life, while Cinematheque and Festival de Cine present a selection of films by Argentina's foremost female film directors. These are among many arts events taking place at the University of Wisconsin-Madison during the week of February 29-March 6.
This weekly digest highlights upcoming opportunities for the public to experience the university arts in campus theaters, museums, galleries and concert halls. All events are free unless otherwise noted. For a complete list, visit the Arts Institute calendar at http://www.arts.wisc.edu/cal.php.
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WISCONSIN JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL: BRANDEIS - THE PEOPLE'S ATTORNEY
WHEN AND WHERE: Friday, Feb. 29, 12 p.m., Memorial Union Play Circle Theater
DETAILS: This new documentary charts the rise of Louis Brandeis from his beginnings as the son of immigrant grain merchants in Louisville, Ky., to Harvard Law School, where he graduated first in his class, to his career as a Progressive Era lawyer advocating for worker's rights, most famously in the "Brandeis Briefs," to his appointment as the first Jewish Supreme Court justice in 1916.
RELATED LINK: http://www.uwhillel.org
CONTACT: sbyer@wisc.edu
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FILM SCREENING: THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN
WHEN AND WHERE: Friday, Feb. 29, 6 p.m. (also Sunday, March 2 at 2 p.m.), Majestic Theatre, 115 King St.
DETAILS: A sneak preview of "The Business of Being Born," a documentary film directed by Abby Epstein and produced by Ricki Lake. Panel discussion with local physicians and midwives will follow the film. Tickets are available at Community Nurse Midwives, Community Pharmacy, Happy Bambino, The Madison Birth Center and A Room of One's Own bookstore. Sponsored by the Women's Studies Internship Program.
COST: Suggested donation $5 per ticket to cover costs.
RELATED LINK: http://thebusinessofbeingborn.com
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MASTER OF ARTS EXHIBITION BY WILLOW HAGGE
WHEN AND WHERE: Opening Reception: Friday, Feb. 29, 7-9 p.m., 734 Gallery, 730-736 University Ave.
DETAILS: Based on a single found photograph, the installation "Between the Hammer and the Anvil" represents a process of looking at and trying to understand one image as it changes and multiplies.
RELATED LINK: http://art.wisc.edu/
CONTACT: (608) 262-1662, hbnguyen@education.wisc.edu
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MEMORIAL MOVIES: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
WHEN AND WHERE: Friday, Friday, Feb. 29 and Saturday, March 1. 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Fredric March Play Circle, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
DETAILS: Did you miss this year's Best Picture winner when it was first in the theater? Now's your chance! Texan cowboy Llewellyn Moss finds himself a hunted man when he stumbles upon some dead bodies and makes off with $2 million. Check the WUD Film Web site for complete film descriptions and information on free-screening seating policies.
RELATED LINK: http://www.union.wisc.edu/film/MUmovies.html
CONTACT: (608) 262-1143, erinhallbauer@gmail.com
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TONI MORRISON'S 'THE BLUEST EYE' ADAPTED BY LYDIA DIAMOND
WHEN AND WHERE: Friday, Feb. 29, 7:30 p.m. (runs through Saturday, March 15 - see Web site for details), Mitchell Theatre, Vilas Hall, 821 University Ave.
DETAILS: Based on the seminal 1970 novel, childhood innocence frames a story of abuse, poverty and molestation in the American south. Emotionally and dramatically intense, Lydia Diamond's excellent adaptation captures the power of Morrison's unique literary voice.
COST: $20 general, $18 seniors, $14 UW-Madison students and 17 and under
RELATED LINK: http://www.utmadison.com
CONTACT: (608) 262-1500, boxoffice@theatre.wisc.edu
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UNIVERSITY OPERA: DON PASQUALE
WHEN AND WHERE: Friday, Feb. 29, 7:30 p.m. (also Sunday, March 2, at 3 p.m. and Tuesday, Tuesday, March 4. at 7:30 p.m.), Rennebohm Auditorium, Music Hall, 925 Bascom Mall
DETAILS: Donizetti's last comic opera remains one of the most popular opera buffas to this day. Director William Farlow has set this production in the Roaring Twenties. Matthew Tintes sings the title role, with Caitlin Cisler, Samus Haddad, James N. Kryshak and John Gravelle. James Smith conducts the UW Chamber Orchestra.
COST: $18 general, $10 UW-Madison students
RELATED LINK: http://www.music.wisc.edu
CONTACT: (608) 262-2201, opera@music.wisc.edu
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CINEMATHEQUE: ARGENTINE FEMALE DIRECTORS, ARGENTINE ACTRESSES
WHEN AND WHERE: Friday, Feb. 29, 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., 4070 Vilas Hall
DETAILS: XXY (Argentina, 2007, 35mm, color, subtitled, 86 min.) was directed by Luc�a Puenzo and stars In�s Efron, Valeria Bertuccelli and Ricardo Dar�n. The film explores hermaphrodite Alex's painful search for gender identity when she is pressured by her parents to "choose." Puenzo's sensitive treatment tackles a difficult topic with openness and lack of judgment. This accomplished debut is Argentina's 2008 nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Followed at 9 p.m. by Lucky Day (Un d�a de suerte) (Argentina, 2002, 35mm, color, subtitled, 94 min.), directed by Sandra Gugliotta and starring Valentina Bassi, Claudio Gallardou and Fern�n Mir�s. The desire for a better life draws Elsa to Italy, retracing (from the opposite direction) her grandfather's journey to escape poverty decades earlier. Gugliotta effectively expresses, with candor and authenticity, a generation's state of mind. Berlin International Film Festival award winner.
RELATED LINK: http://cinema.wisc.edu/
CONTACT: (608) 262-3627, heckman@wisc.edu
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CINEMATHEQUE: ARGENTINE FEMALE DIRECTORS, ARGENTINE ACTRESSES
WHEN AND WHERE: Saturday, March 1, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., 4070 Vilas Hall, 821 University Ave.
DETAILS: The Swamp (La ci�naga) (Argentina/France/Spain, 2001, 35mm, color, subtitled, 103 min.) features Graciela Borges, Mart�n Adejmi�n, Mercedes Mor�n. Martel brilliantly captures the decadence of the Argentine middle-class through the story of two families reunited during a hot, humid summer month in Argentina's North. The Holy Girl (La ni�a santa) (Argentina/Italy/Netherlands/Spain, 2004, 35mm, color, subtitled, 106 min.) was directed by Lucrecia Martel and stars Mercedes Mor�n, M�a Maestro and Mari� Alche. Nominated for the Golden Palm at Cannes, Martel's amazing second feature film revisits family dysfunction.
RELATED LINK: http://cinema.wisc.edu/
CONTACT: (608) 262-3627, heckman@wisc.edu
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SCHOOL OF MUSIC FACULTY CONCERT SERIES: LES THIMMIG, WOODWINDS
WHEN AND WHERE: Saturday, March 1, 8 p.m., Mills Hall, Mosse Humanities Building, 455 N. Park St.
DETAILS: "Thimmig plays Thimmig," is a program of five of his original compositions, using alto flute, clarinet, bass clarinet and soprano saxophone. He is assisted by Laura Hogberg and Dawn Lawler, flute; Rose Sperrazza and Shandra Helman, clarinet; Ben Irwin, bass clarinet; Marc Vallon, bassoon; Michael Bailly, vibraphone; Anthony Di Sanza, marimba; and Karen Atz, harp.
COST: $11 general, $8 seniors and students, UW-Madison students free with ID
RELATED LINK: http://www.music.wisc.edu
CONTACT: (608) 262-2201, music@music.wisc.edu
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JEWISH FILM FEST: THE ITCHE KADOOZY SHOW, FILM FANATIC, AND TROUBLED WATER
WHEN AND WHERE: Sunday, March 2, 2 p.m. (Itche Kadoozy), 3:30 p.m. (Film Fanatic) and 7 p.m. (Troubled Water), Fredric March Play Circle, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
DETAILS: Since 2005 Rabbi Dovid Taub has been producing the "The Itche Kadoozy Show" for Chabad.org, delighting children of all Jewish backgrounds with this quirky, Torah-themed puppet show. The program follows Rabbi Itche Kadoozy, his friend Jono and the rascally Gefilte P. Fish as they go on wacky adventures and learn about traditional Jewish holidays and practices. A Q&A with Rabbi Dovid Taub follows the showing. In Film Fanatic, Yehuda Grovais, an energetic Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jew, makes films geared toward members of his community who are prohibited from watching mainstream movies but will watch his films on disc. Starting in 1999, Troubled Water director Gil Karni followed this Israeli-Palestinian fishing cooperative, creating a "filmed diary." The film records the peaceful relationship between the fishermen during the Al-Aktsa Intifada and the new Palestinian uprising which was the cause of the disappearance of the Palestinian inhabitants of the region.
RELATED LINK: http://www.uwhillel.org
CONTACT: sbyer@wisc.edu
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CINEMATHEQUE: ARGENTINE FEMALE DIRECTORS, ARGENTINE ACTRESSES
WHEN AND WHERE: Sunday, March 2, 4 p.m., 4070 Vilas Communication Hall
DETAILS: Momentos (Argentina, 1981, 35mm, color, subtitled, 90 min.) was directed by Mar�a Luisa Bemberg, who made this bracing first feature at the age of 58 and quickly became the first female director in her region to achieve consistent international success.
RELATED LINK: http://cinema.wisc.edu/
CONTACT: (608) 262-3627, heckman@wisc.edu
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WISCONSIN UNION THEATER SPECIAL EVENTS: COMPLEXIONS CONTEMPORARY BALLET
WHEN AND WHERE: Sunday, March 2, 8 p.m., Wisconsin Union Theater, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
DETAILS: This multiracial, multidisciplinary troupe boasts a remarkable group of dancers who are high-voltage, high-wattage and high-energy.
COST: $36-18 general; $10 UW-Madison students with ID; Order tickets online
CONTACT: (608) 262-2201, boxoffice@wut.org
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WISCONSIN JEWISH FILM FEST: THE SHIVAH AND EXPERIMENTAL FILMS FROM JEWISH LONDON
WHEN AND WHERE: Monday, March 3, 7 p.m. (the Shivah) and 9 p.m. (Experimental Films), Fredric March Play Circle, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
DETAILS: Join Gilbert for a noir-influenced trip through New York City as he presents his most recent project, "The Shivah." Go behind the scenes of the production of the game, which features a down-on-his-luck Rabbi desperately trying to reclaim his good name when a former congregant turns up dead. The program of Experimental Films from Jewish London is being curated exclusively for the Wisconsin Jewish Film Festival. For years, renowned artist Rachel Garfield has been producing new forms of visual media that have challenged and entertained viewers across the world, often through her subtle observations on Jewish identity and culture. For this special screening, Garfield has put together a series of films from London artists, all of which experiment with film form as well as take on key issues about Jewish life.
RELATED LINK: http://www.uwhillel.org
CONTACT: sbyer@wisc.edu
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CHAZEN GALLERY TALKS: TOM JONES AND JACK DAMER
WHEN AND WHERE: Wednesday, March 5 (Jones) and Thursday, March 6 (Damer), noon-1:15 p.m., Paige Court, Chazen Museum of Art, 800 University Ave.
DETAILS: Jones and Damer will give informal presentations on their work in the 2008 Art Department Faculty Exhibition.
RELATED LINK: http://www.chazen.wisc.edu
CONTACT: (608) 263-2246, nmustapich@chazen.wisc.edu
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CINEMATHEQUE: THEY WERE EXPENDABLE
WHEN AND WHERE: Wednesday, March 5, 6:30 p.m., 4070 Vilas Hall, 821 University Ave.
DETAILS: Based on events that took place in the Philippines during World War II, this film recounts the story of the Third Motor Boat Torpedo Squadron of the U.S. Navy led by Lt. John Brickley and Lt. "Rusty" Ryan. Ford's story of defeat in an ultimately victorious war is known for its stunning realism. The gripping narrative captivates even in 16mm. USA, 1945, 16mm, b/w, 135 min. Directed by John Ford, with Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed.
RELATED LINK: http://cinema.wisc.edu/
CONTACT: (608) 262-3627, heckman@wisc.edu
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REAL TO REEL CINEMA: KING CORN
WHEN AND WHERE: Wednesday, March 5, 7:30 p.m., Fredric March Play Circle, Memorial Union
DETAILS: Friends Ian and Curt move back to America's Corn Belt to plant an acre of the nation's most-grown and most-subsidized grain in an attempt to follow their crop into the U.S. food supply. Check the WUD Film web site for detailed descriptions of film titles and free-screening seating policies.
RELATED LINK: http://www.union.wisc.edu/film/real.html
CONTACT: (608) 262-1143, erinhallbauer@gmail.com
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BEETHOVEN PIANO SONATA SERIES: CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR
WHEN AND WHERE: Wednesday, March 5, 7:30 p.m., Mills Hall, Mosse Humanities Building, 455 N. Park St.
DETAILS: Taylor performs the fourth in his 10-concert series of the complete piano sonatas by Beethoven, with Opus 14, Nos. 1 and 2, Opus 22 and Opus 57 ("Appassionata").
COST: $12 general, $9 seniors and students, UW-Madison students free with ID
RELATED LINK: http://www.music.wisc.edu
CONTACT: (608) 262-2201
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CREECA LECTURE SERIES: DMITRY SHOSTAKOVICH AND AZERBAIJANI MUSIC
WHEN AND WHERE: Thursday, March 6, 4-5:15 p.m., 206 Ingraham Hall, 1055 Observatory Dr.
DETAILS: Aida Huseynova, visiting scholar at Indiana University, explores the aesthetic and stylistic influence of Dmitry Shostakovich on Azerbaijani music, as well as the facts and events that facilitated Shostakovich's contact with Azerbaijani musicians.
RELATED LINK: http://www.creeca.wisc.edu
CONTACT: (608) 262-3379, events@creeca.wisc.edu
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SCHOOL OF MUSIC FACULTY CONCERT SERIES: MARC VALLON, BASSOON
WHEN AND WHERE: Thursday, March 6, 7:30 p.m., Morphy Hall, Mosse Humanities Building, 455 N. Park St.
DETAILS: The program presents music from the baroque period performed on period instruments. Assisting musicians are Martha Vallon and Eleanor Cox, baroque cello; John Stowe, harpsichord and organ; Paul Rowe, baritone; Douglas Hill, natural horn; and Julia Marion and David Wells, baroque bassoon.
COST: $11 general, $8 seniors and students, UW-Madison students free with ID
RELATED LINK: http://www.music.wisc.edu
CONTACT: (608) 262-2201, music@music.wisc.edu
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- Susannah Brooks, (608) 262-3846, srbrooks2@wisc.edu